Memorial Day Dining Guide

Memorial Day Dining: Regardless what the thermostat says, the unofficial start of summer is Memorial Day weekend, an occasion that merits merriment and celebration. No better way than to celebrate with a good meal on your day off from work. Here's a handy guide to where to eat on Memorial Day to help beckon in the summer season. 


Memorial Day Dining: Egg in a jar at Siena Tavern
(Egg in a jar at Siena Tavern. Photo: Lindsey Cavanaugh)


Siena Tavern is open and serving Monday brunch on Memorial Day, because there's no better way to kickstart the season than with an egg in a jar with king crab tempura, grilled asparagus, poached egg, and Calabrian chili hollandaise. Oh and also: lobster hash, truffled scrambled eggs, artichoke omelettes, and lots more. 


LUXBAR will be extending its weekend brunch to Memorial Day with a (hopeful) patio affair filled with all the brunch essentials. Pancakes, waffles, Benedicts, and omelettes taste best on a Memorial Day patio after all. To drink, there's mimosas and Bloody Marys, along with spring cocktails such as the Hibiscus cocktail with rum, hibiscus liqueur, mint, Prosecco, and fresh lime; and the Violet with gin, Creme de Violette, soda, and fresh lemon. 


theWit Hotel celebrates its fifth anniversary Memorial Day weekend, celebrating appropriately with a variety of events and specials. State and Lake Chicago Tavern's pastry chef Toni Roberts has created a birthday-appropriate vanilla cream "sprinkle cake," while the savory kitchen has reinvigorated its Butcher Burger with the addition of five-year cheddar and braised pork belly. ROOF is also hosting a handful of boisterous events over the course of the weekend, including the ROOF Sundays day club starting at 2:00 p.m. The bar will also kick off its Movie Mondays promo, wherein different films are screened throughout the coming weeks, starting with The Hangover. Drink specials and mint chip sundaes will be on hand. 


Four words for you: doughnut fried French toast. Here are a few more words: eat it at Public House. If you're gonna welcome beach season soon, you may as well indulge in some doughnut-y French toast one last time. There's nothing more patriotic and apropos than a spread of French toast, sticky cinnamon rolls, chicken & waffles, and strawberry shortcake pancakes. It's all available for Memorial Day brunch. 


There really isn't anything more perfect for Memorial Day weekend than a barbecue. Frontier embraces the holiday tradition with a patio BBQ on May 25 at 3:00 p.m. For $15 per person, guests can indulge in pulled pork, barbecued chicken, burgers, potato salad, baked beans, and other homey delights. There will also be drink specials on domestic beers and punches. 


Matt Kirouac

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